


Morning Glory

by Vhaenya



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Avatar Atsushi, Gen, POV Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs), Spirit World (Avatar), possible body horror?, shin soukoku if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26101375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vhaenya/pseuds/Vhaenya
Summary: “I’m just here to get the Avatar.” Ryuunosuke’s voice is terse and clipped. Behind him, the being stops moving. The silence is only broken by its raspy breathing before it starts to chuckle again.“My, my. What an interesting turn of events for me. First a visit from the Avatar and then a child touched by the spirits coming to retrieve him? If I had known that I had guests.”It trails off as it shifts again. His keen ears listen as it stretches upwards and crawls across the ceiling.“I would have properly put in the effort to greet my respective guests.”
Relationships: Akutagawa Ryuunosuke & Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Morning Glory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wellthengetouttathesoupaisle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthengetouttathesoupaisle/gifts), [persimmonchild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/persimmonchild/gifts).



> A big thank you to the lovely Fatimé and Persi for inspiring me to write this fic <3

Puffs of white escape between his lips. The harsh cold bites through his warm clothing, the wind caressing over his pale skin and he fights to suppress a shudder. He needs to focus. 

Cracking open an eye, he sends an icy glower to the still form of Avatar Atsushi. For two days, Atsushi has been in some meditative state. He’s been missing important lessons on how to master his waterbending and the people are starting to get restless over his disappearance. Ryuunosuke decided to take it upon himself to go and follow the Avatar and drag him back. _Always following others_ a small voice whispers to him, reminding him of his shortfallings. If Atsushi puts up a fight, well, that’ll be the perfect outlet for Ryuunosuke to properly channel his frustrations out on. 

He needs to do this. 

He has to prove to the others in his tribe. He has to prove to the chief, his elder brother, that he's good enough. 

Avatar Atsushi be damned, the boy is still stuck in the spirit realm and Ryuunosuke has to be the one to bring him back. He _will_ be the one to bring him back. That will be more than enough to prove his worth in the tribe. 

Born sickly and cursed, every waking moment of his life is spent fighting. He's shed blood, sweat and tears into proving his adoptive family wrong. Of course, his adoptive sister and mother tell him that there’s no need to prove his worth. 

However, his need to be better doesn’t lie with them. His burning determination to prove himself rests with his elder brother- the newly risen chief of the Northern Water Tribe. Since his ascension, his elder brother doesn’t even look in his direction. To Ryuunosuke, that’s his brother’s silent reminder that he’s out of place in the royal family. A fish out of water. 

Many times, he was told that he was lucky to even have been born. Lucky to continue to live. Lucky to have been taken in by the chief's family. 

Thank Tui and La that he survived. Through their kindness alone, he was given a chance to live. Their combined powers gifted him the breath of life. Their mark upon him showing in his black and white hair- touched by the spirits. Though in his humble opinion, he hates that they chose him. It vexes him to no end. 

Countless times, his mother would remind him that being blessed by Tui and La was more than enough worth. After each of his outbursts his mother would simply hold him and hum gently, telling him that being recognized by the two spirits is an incredible gift. Without her patience to anchor him, there’s not a doubt to Ryuunosuke that he would’ve succumbed to his anger long ago. 

Their gift is something he sees as a mocking and cruel reminder that he's not good or strong enough. Being able to see the wisps of spirits in the waking world is just the proverbial cherry on top. Thankfully, as long as he doesn’t pay them any mind, they leave him alone.

"Focus, dammit." He hisses to himself, his cold fists curling tighter and he can feel the bite of his fingernails digging into his palms. Taking in slow breaths he closes his eyes, and allows himself to be lulled into the spirit realm. 

Bathed in soft blue hues, he's greeted by a swirling and silvery mist that wraps around him like a blanket. Looking around, he's perched upon a rock jutting from a lake. Its water is clear and is so still, Ryuunosuke can easily see his own reflection on its surface. Off in the distance, muted from the heavy fog, he hears warbled calls of animals. A loud croak startles him from his spot and he quickly stands up. Glancing down, he sees Avatar Atsushi’s physical body next to him. He can’t help but to roll his eyes and scoff. Well, at least he won’t have to go around the realm to find the Avatar’s ticket back to the waking world.

Even years later, being in the spirit realm freaks him out. If Ryuunosuke has any choice, he'd rather not deal with any of its inhabitants. Their empty eyes and jeering expressions always leave him with a feeling of deep unease. He’d really rather not spend any more time than he has to in this realm. 

Tentatively stepping onto the surface of the lake, it holds his weight. His moccasins pad quickly over the surface as he makes his way through the dizzying fog. More than once, he had glanced down to see a massive shadow with soft illuminated patterns glide just under him. Their muted cries remind him of the songs of the enormous whale seals. Each low and thunderous call from the spirit animals leave the surface of the water pulsing and rippling. 

Ryuunosuke forces himself to walk at a normal pace. He won't be so easily frightened by the creatures around him. He refuses to even think about the notion of being scared off by the fauna. 

He does, however, let out a breath of relief when he finally reaches land. Waist high reeds brush against him, feeling like phantom touches of spirits long forgotten. They whisper past him, snagging on his loose clothing as if pleading for him to stay. Cursing to himself, he swats at the reeds and pushes forward. There’s a soft sigh coming from somewhere amidst the reeds and that’s all Ryuunosuke needs to pick up his pace. Right now is not the time to be picking fights with whatever denizen calls this home. He needs to find Atsushi. 

Ryuunosuke may be a sickly prince but he prides himself in being an adept tracker. Finding the footsteps of a young Avatar will be child's play for him. Sure enough, Ryuunosuke finds exactly what he's looking for. A trail. So far, luck is on his side and he allows a thin grin.

Curiously, Atsushi's trail leads him to a gnarled tree adorned in black and twisting vines. It towers over the rest of the trees- casting everything in its twisted shadow. Ryuunosuke isn’t even aware that his smile slips and a frown takes its place. Even more curiously, there's no sounds to be heard. Even his own breathing and occasional feeble cough falls on his own deaf ears. 

For as long as Ryuunosuke can remember, he's never strayed to this part of the spirit realm. He can't even think of a reason why the Avatar would even need to seek this particular tree and its secrets out. No doubt, Avatar Atsushi sought it out to hide from his responsibilities.

The Avatar will never understand what it's like to fight for a place to call home. He's been spoiled by the very fact that he's the Avatar. In a time of peace, he's pampered and beloved by everyone from all four nations. Ryuunosuke would even go as far as to say that he’s coddled. He hates that his family had so graciously taken Atsushi in, treating him like a beloved family member. So much so, he would even go as far to say that it makes his blood boil. 

A young man of eighteen and he already holds the most power in the world without even working for it. 

Ryuunosuke grinds his teeth. How pathetic.

Ducking under the dangling vines, Ryuunosuke silently studies a large hole in the tree. He can’t help but to think that it looks like the gaping maw of a starved monster, waiting for its next meal. He doesn’t even bother to think about how that implies he’s the next meal. Instead, he rips away the closest vine in frustration with a growl. Not for the first time, cursing Atsushi for this.

Leave it to Avatar Atsushi for making Ryuunosuke get into these sorts of messes. He makes a mental note to really rip the Avatar a new one when they get out of this realm. Taking a deep breath, he doesn’t waste anymore time and takes a step forward.

The first thing that Ryuunosuke notices is how cold it is. As he descends the steps, it grows frigid and he loses feeling in his fingers. Rubbing his hands together, Ryuunosuke continues downwards. His seething irritation will be enough to keep him warm.

He feels like he’s been walking down the stairs for ages, normally it would bother him but everything is so silent that Ryuunosuke finds it nearly cathartic. Finally being able to gather his thoughts, he sorts through them and begins to devise a plan to get him and the Avatar out of here. 

If Atsushi isn’t here to shirk from his duties, then there’s not a doubt that there’s something else waiting for him whenever he reaches the bottom. 

A snap from above brings him to a halt, he’s grown so used to the silence that the snap was more like a deafening roar that leaves Ryuunosuke scrambling to cover his ears. Looking up, he squints against the darkness but can’t see whatever it was that made the noise. He waits but there’s nothing else to be heard or seen. 

Ryuunosuke is smart and knows to not just chalk it up as the tree settling or something. There’s definitely a being here with him and it’s not Atsushi stalking him from above. Squaring back his shoulders, Ryuunosuke forces himself to continue. 

When he finally reaches the final step, Ryuunosuke spies a figure shrouded in the darkness. The person is slumped forwards, hiding their face but Ryuunosuke doesn’t need a confirmation that it’s Atsushi. 

Behind him, there’s a soft sigh and the back of his neck prickles when Ryuunosuke feels the warm breath wash over his skin. A reedy chuckle fills the space and for the first time- blind, cold fear settles into Ryuunosuke’s skin and bones. He’s rooted to where he stands when he finally pieces together just how much trouble they’re in. 

Ryuunosuke should’ve heeded the warning signs earlier. 

He thickly swallows and doesn’t flinch when a multitude of limbs crawl against the walls. Ryuunosuke bites the inside of his cheek when a chitinous leg brushes against him. Listening to the scuttling and scraping fills his head and the headache that comes with it feels like his head is about to split into two. It takes all of Ryuunosuke’s focus to not let out a shout in pain. All around him, he can hear the clicking of the entity crawling. Behind, on either of his sides and above him, it’s everywhere. The ground rumbles beneath his feet, sending tremors up his entire body. Slow and forced breaths echo across the walls as it continues to circle around him like a starved predator. Bits of debris fall around him, settling on his hair and swirling around him like snow. 

_“I’m curious.”_ A thousand voices speak as one like some sort of twisted orchestra. An orchestra for the dead and forgotten. Ryuunosuke ignores the fact that some of those voices sound like children. _“What brings the faux and sickly prince of the Northern Water Tribe to my domain?”_ The being laughs, its conjoined voices are thin and sickly. As much as Ryuunosuke wants to dispute with the entity, he knows that doing so will only play into its game. No matter, being called the faux and sickly prince grates on his nerves. It seems that even in the spirit realm, he’s viewed as nothing more than a mere side project by Tui and La. Nothing more. Nothing less. 

Regardless.

“I’m just here to get the Avatar.” Ryuunosuke’s voice is terse and clipped. Behind him, the being stops moving. The silence is only broken by its raspy breathing before it starts to chuckle again. 

_“My, my. What an interesting turn of events for me. First a visit from the Avatar and then a child touched by the spirits coming to retrieve him? If I had known that I had guests.”_ It trails off as it shifts again. His keen ears listen as it stretches upwards and crawls across the ceiling. _“I would have properly put in the effort to greet my respective guests.”_ Tension hangs in the air. Ryuunosuke lets out a slow breath and doesn’t react when a thin stream of saliva drips down from above and pools just in front of his feet.

What drops down from the ceiling and settles in the space between him and Avatar Atsushi is enough to almost make him bite through his tongue. A massive monster bearing a resemblance of a fire centipede, he’d once seen depicted from scrolls from the Fire Nation a few years back. Its black carapace shines dully in the low light. Thin and pointed segmented legs dig deep in the ground, sending deep cracks that spider outwards and towards Ryuunosuke. When the being finally turns, apparently bored from staring at Atsushi’s unmoving form, he has to tell himself to remain calm no matter what. Six spindly and deadly sharp legs frame the dark pit of where Koh’s face should be. One of the legs around its face twitches, inching forward and acting like a feeler that wants to touch Ryuunosuke. Every fiber of his being is screaming at him to grab the Avatar and then run far away, never to return to this place. He would have darted to grab Atsushi and leave but his feet remain frozen in place.

His fingers curl into tight fists at his side as he watches in muted horror when a face begins to take shape. Pale and puckered flesh stretches and contorts as the bones rearrange beneath the forming face. A gaunt face of a sickly man with dark eye bags stares back at him with seemingly unseeing eyes. Ryuunosuke doesn’t recognize the man with the sallow skin and hollow cheekbones and he takes that as a blessing. Long and ratted black hair sways in the nonexistent breeze. After an eternity, the man’s dead black eyes slowly blink and then stares at him with sudden clarity. 

_“Why are you really here?”_ A singular and sonorously silky voice slowly muses. Ryuunosuke doesn’t take his eyes off of Koh but motions to where the Avatar is. 

“I told you. I’m taking him back.” 

_“I am well aware of your previous statement.”_ Koh patiently replies. Its body twitches and the face once again begins to shift. This time, its face takes the form of a young girl no older than fourteen with the bluest eyes that Ryuunosuke has ever seen. _“Perhaps I should clarify.”_ The girl’s voice is soft and gentle. He watches as Koh stretches upwards again, looming over him. All Ryuunosuke can focus on is the bright blue eyes that seem the gleam in the darkness. A thin smile curves across her lips revealing far too many teeth that shine.

_“Why bother taking him back? Ever since it was announced that he is the Avatar, he’s been nothing more than a thorn in your side. This is the chance to finally show your people… your family… your elder brother that you’re worth something. Taking him back will just make you melt back into the shadows again. How could anyone ever be proud of you if they forget that you even exist?”_

“He’s needed-”

_“Is he truly needed? I do believe that your little world is in a time of peace.”_ Koh points out, its voice cracks and the legion of other lost voices join its words. _“I can feel the hate festering inside of you. All you want in life is to be accepted. Wanted. Valued. Yet… time and time again, your earnest attempts are shadowed by the Avatar. No matter where you go in life, you will always be in second place. You will always be following in someone else’s footsteps. How sad.”_ It tilts its head and chuckles when Ryuunosuke has nothing to say. It leans in closer, bones popping and contorting once again. A ferocious beast takes the place of the girl. White fur stands starkly out against pitch black stripes that adorn it. Long fangs curve from its maw and as it lets out a tumultuous roar, spittle flies everywhere.

A foreign feeling within his heart twinges. Despite his endless frustration and exasperation with Avatar Atsushi, he can’t let him stay in a place like this. That feeling takes root and blossoms into a desperate urge to protect Atsushi from Koh. 

Standing at his full height, he’s still dwarfed by Koh. He doesn’t blink as the beast gives out another roar and calmly states that he’s taking back the Avatar. There’s no time to lose, he knows that the longer he stays here with that monstrosity of a spirit- his likelihood of showing his anger increases. His and Avatar Atsushi’s fates lie in his own hands. That’s more than enough to encourage Ryuunosuke to stand his ground and keep his wits about him. Spirits such as this one can smell fear and he’s hellbent on denying Koh any sort of satisfaction. 

He takes a cautious step forward, wary of any movement from the face stealer. Koh doesn’t move and seems content with just watching him for now. In Ryuunosuke’s mind, that’s the sign that he had won against its twisted game. He slowly makes his way to Atsushi, keeping a mindful distance away from Koh. Afterall, it's still poised as if ready to strike the second Ryuunosuke makes a fatal mistake. 

Kneeling down in front of the Avatar, a breathy chuckle behind him fills the chamber. Continuing to ignore the spirit, Ryuunosuke touches Atsushi’s shoulder as if a gentle prod will wake him from whatever stupor he’s in. 

_“Are you sure you still want him?”_ Koh questions, its voices are distorted and muffled as if it's speaking from another room in a different dimension. There’s that high pitched whine of chitin rubbing against itself as Koh moves to stand behind him. Ryuunosuke closes his eyes and counts in his head to calm himself. He feels as if he’s seconds away from an anxiety attack and his heart is frantically thundering against his ribs. There’s not a doubt in his mind that Koh can hear his heart and smell his terror. Ryuunosuke stills the trembling in his fists as he watches the shadow of the spirit twitch and lean down. 

The telltale sound of flesh morphing and bones popping reverberates off the walls. Ryuunosuke does his best to ignore Koh, knowing that this is its final attempt to steal his face. However, a quiet and all too familiar peal of laughter replaces the sounds of its face rearranging. 

Ryuunosuke feels his body go numb and denial surges over his body. Without pausing, he reaches over and tilts Atsushi’s head up. 

_“After all, he belongs here now.”_ Atsushi’s disembodied voice purrs behind him. Whirling around, the face of the Avatar leers down at him with manic glee. _“What use will he be to you and your world, now?”_ Koh smiles, Atsushi’s skin splits as the smile grows and grows. 

Ryuunosuke can’t breathe. That comes in the form of his saving grace because if he could, he would have screamed and cried and demanded for Koh to give Atsushi his face back. Instead, he tucks his hands just under Atsushi’s armpits and picks him up. Holding the Avatar close to him, his faceless head falls against the crook of his neck. Atsushi’s smooth skin is still warm and soft against him. He tries to ignore the climbing feeling of panic when Atsushi’s head lolls, white hair fanning out and shows the expanse of smooth and unblemished skin. His arms tighten protectively around Atsushi. 

Any other words Koh says goes unnoticed by Ryuunosuke. Silently, he leaves the spirit’s tree and soon, its disjointed laughter fades away to nothing against the wind. 

It’s only then, when he makes his way back to his physical body- Ryuunosuke realizes that he’s crying. A whisper of fabric rustling snaps him away from his frantic thoughts. Looking down, his eyes widen in shock when he sees Atsushi’s pale hand reach up and cup his cheek. A slender thumb blindly wipes away a tear and then falls away, resting limply against Atsushi’s chest. 

Ryuunosuke angrily blinks away his tears and coughs. All of his adrenaline left him and he’s feeling drained and lightheaded. His breathing becomes strained, this isn’t what he had expected would turn out. Too many thoughts are crashing all around him and he feels like he can’t breathe. Ryuunosuke has to stop for a brief moment and recollect himself. It takes all of his willpower to not look down at the man in his arms, if he does- he fears that he really will have a panic attack. 

Having to push aside his emotions, he trudges forward. He needs to get to their bodies so that they can leave this cursed place. Those words become a mantra to him, a beacon of hope that provides him with just enough comfort to continue onward. 

Just over the horizon, he can make out his and Atsushi’s forms perched motionlessly upon the rock. A few moments later, they arrive at their bodies. Wordlessly, he places Avatar Atsuhi’s spirit in his body and watches as the Avatar disappears from the spirit realm. Wearily, he lets out a sigh and phases into his own. 

Freezing cold air feels like fire against his lungs. Ryuunosuke’s eyes fly open and he can’t breathe through his coughing. Weakly pounding a fist against the ground, he calms himself. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes and Ryuunosuke slumps, hanging his head and allows himself to finally catch his breath. As his breathing slows down, he studies the ice beneath his gloved hands. Pure white glitters softly like tiny gemstones. He lets out a chuckle, incredulous that he has spent all night in the spirit realm. 

Ryuunosuke runs a shaky hand through his hair before freezing. Memories about what happened to the Avatar come rushing back all at once. Oh so tentatively, he looks over his shoulder and lets out a choked cry. 

Behind him, Atsushi sits up and rubs the back of his neck. To his horror, Atsushi’s face is still gone. Strands of white hair jostle in the soft breeze, veiling the lack of his face. As the soft sunrise bathes Atsushi in soft pinks and purples, Ryuunosuke makes a vow to help him get his face back.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I can't believe my debut bsd fic is me stealing Atsushi's face. I'm fairly new to this fandom (as in I started watching it last week) so, apologies if Akutagawa is slightly OOC in here. TT^TT Also! I have plans on making this a part of a series. I'm actually really excited to introduce more characters throughout their journey!  
> That's all for now.  
> Comments are always welcome and you can find me [here on Tumblr](https://vhaenya.tumblr.com)


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